Gather Wood
by IZZY-CHAN13
Summary: "Brad" is invited to his first camping trip with an air of usual lack of confidence and isolation that's never seen in in the movie of his real appearance. A nice weekend with the company of Max and Goofy is still not enough to forget matters back at home, which makes the younger kid by two years worried. An AU where Max Goof and Bradley Uppercrust were friends at a young age.
1. Chapter 1

"They're here, Dad."

A foreboding figure stood alongside the boy and peered through the glass,

"That they are." He putting the curtain back in place, "Got everything ready?"

A couple pieces of luggage on the bed, all sealed up and neat. The kid stuttered, "Y-yes."

A twinge of pain made him grimace as he picked up the bags on his own. Any normal boy would ask for help from his father. Maybe he wanted to prove his own strength.

"Bradley."

Stopping at the entrance to the room, he dared not say a word.

"Remember to behave."

A nod to the wood and carpet of the floor signaled that he understood.

Another kid plopped next to his nervous wreck of a friend, grinning excitedly, "It's so cool you're coming with us!"

Said friend smiled in return, however soft it was, before looking out the car window, the world tinted gray and blue, halfway wishing…

"Is Mr. Uppercrust going to see you off, Bradley?"

To avoid being rude, the boy answered the older Goof, "He's busy. It's okay; we can go now." Buckling his seat belt now eager to leave. To be as far as possible from this estate.

The black pup was psyched to have a friend accompany him after being told that his closest friend, P.J., would be unavailable during the summer break. Pete deciding to drag the whole family to a barrage of otherwise enjoyable locations and events. It was the foul businessman's chance to get away from the "germ-ridden" Goofy and his delinquent son. Surely this would affect the other boy negatively.

Max prodded at the younger Uppercrust's shoulder and got a quick yelp in response.

"Whoa there!" having to jump back to the other side of the car. Goofy was humming a tune, oddly too focused to notice his son's outburst.

"You okay, Brad?"

"Uh—Uhm.." Bradley rubbed at his arm to come up with a good excuse, "I was sleeping. At least, about to."

The boys were more than halfway there, to the campsite recommended to them by a friend of Alphonse's. 'Alphonse' being the name of Bradley Uppercrust's father. Goofy was assured that it was a beautiful place. By the sight of looming mountains, babbling creeks, lush green forest, and fresh morning air surrounding them and the road, the man's word was true.

Bradley rolled up the window to not catch a cold; he wasn't used to being outside for that long. Outside home and school… He still wondered if he could take being in the city where his dad worked or even in the taken-for-granted comforts of suburbia.

The young canine turned his neck to see that Max had given up on getting his attention, gazing out his own window. He felt.. weird. He was the older one by two years, yet he felt like the baby for being so inexperienced in childhood fun and interaction. He lacked the fearlessness and spirit of most kids their age and, needless to say, it isolated him.

On that note, the way he communicated appreciation and concern was absent at worst and awkward at best.

".. Max?" His hand reaching out to the middle seat cushion between them, "Was there something you wanted to tell me?"

Knowing that Max didn't like having his dad involved, he kept his voice low.

The other gave a shrug, still facing away, "I forgot."

Bradley went into a slump before the other dog turned around and laughed, "I'm kidding!"

"Heh, oh." He perked himself up and was all ears.

"What's the first thing ya wanna do there? Swimming hiking bike riding?"

Giggling nervously out of embarrassment, "Whatever _you_ want first, Max. But don't you think we should set up the tent before all that?"

"Oh yeah," the other looking bored for a split second, "that."

The older Goof looked behind him, "Do you boys want to make a pit stop? There's a store coming up ahead and I need to fill up the car with gas-il-leen."

"Yeah Dad, but could you keep your eyes on the road before you get us killed?"

Brad cringed at his friend's behavior towards his father. He wouldn't try "correcting" his own for anything.

"Okie Dokie." Back to driving as if nothing said was an insult.

"Bradley, we gotta stock up on s'more material." As if Goofy never interrupted.

"Uh, yeah."

What was a s'more?

* * *

Max Goof kept on tapping his shoe, ready to run around like a certain blue hedgehog,

"You almost done?"

Bradley poked his face out of the tent, "Yeah."

"Well come on then!" Pulling at his arms through the opening and to a stand. Both had a change of clothes for the upcoming hike. Tents took long enough to set up; Goofy so happened to be wrestling with his for quite some time until they detangled him out of that mess. Being a novice, Brad could only observe father and son working on the smaller contraption.

A rather light breeze ruffled their hair. Right now the temperature was at a low 70˚ F. It was ideal that it stay this way.

"Max; your tennis shoes are untied." The boy that said it got down on his knees to try and do his friend a favor. The other was quizzical, easing him aside, "Don't bother, Brad. I got it." Getting down himself, his friend scooted further on his bare knees, bruising up a little from the pressure.

The older observed the knots being formed and pulled for a few seconds. "There we go.. Brad?"

"Oh. Yeah.." Refusing Max's hand to push himself up.

"Now. Now can we go?"

"Alright, we can." Holding onto the straps of a heavy load. Sooner or later it would be digging into his shoulders. Max had so much vitality in comparison. He carried his own like it was nothing but a knapsack. Bradley gave a small sigh at making these observations, not wanting to get himself down on a special weekend. The sun was just above the forest, the sky now showing orange for a new day. Goofy was supposed to go with them, but then realized sooner or later that it would be lunch, so he stayed behind and got himself ready at the grill with spices and fresh veggies. He found out pretty quick that Bradley was not as picky as his kid was. Heck, little Bradley was fond of watching the Goof cook. Since it always turned out delicious he had to know how the magic in an otherwise chaotic kitchen was done.

Max started on the trail through a small clearing within their local flora, his friend idling behind. Said boy saw a foot tapping and he picked up the pace. The air was wonderful. Still a bit cold but not like how it was on their car ride over here. The clouds parted and after about a half hour of trekking or so the sky went baby blue.

The older boy was at peace as wind rustled the leaves and through his chestnut hair. So much at ease that his eyelids began to droop listening to the sound—

"Brad come on!"

"Coming." The illusion interrupted.

Minutes turned to an hour, two hours. Atmosphere thinning with each step on the elevating path. Every time Uppercrust wanted to just enjoy the moment, the Goof would zip by him as if it were a race, "Really?"

"Don't want to be caught by the animals right?" As if instilling worry into the guy would have him pick up his feet to keep in sync, "Heh heh; they gotta eat too."

Several minutes followed before stepping onto stone; cragged rocks were a small obstacle for the little Goof. The other struggled running out of air, "I—uh—need to," the last couple words a faint whisper. Sweat trickling down his forehead, Bradley took a seat on the flat top of a boulder, setting his pack down with gratitude. Max saw his sorry state and smiled at him in good will, following suit. The platform was wide enough for both. Max took a swig of water with zeal, "ah!"

Droplets rolling off his chin onto his shirt made Bradley's need for cleanliness spike, "Egh."

He looked away from the sight and took out his own canteen. The boy took his drink in sips and peered downward. Patches of slate, tan—having to squint his eyes—sea green, lavender.. "So glad that I'm not afraid of heights." Their feet suspended just a little over a cliff but luckily secured by the slab which served as a solid step.

Max followed his gaze and spied on a hawk going off into the distant hills. "Hm. You wanna find the biggest n' baddest roller coaster sometime then?"

"Nooo." Hoping the very idea wouldn't give him vertigo, "That, later. Maybe someday."

"Pfft." Capping his container methodically.

* * *

By the end of their hike, near the campsite, Bradley was falling short of breath, "Ah!" As if he would collapse. "Aw come on Brad it's not that bad!"

"I'm gonna die!" Being pricked by mosquitoes wasn't helping. The once benevolent sun glared down onto them and streams of sweat were a sure result of it. The weight of the pack threatened to topple him over, knees shaking. Max laughed at a face which exaggerated the ailment—mouth gaping open and eyes buggy, brows up at the forehead.

"How, come, you're still alive?"

"I'm used to camping, Bradley—duh." Allowing his friend's arm over his shoulder, "Hold on, almost done. And food's about ready." The agreeable scent reached their nostrils, but what Brad really needed was a drink. He had finished whatever was in the canteen about an hour ago.

Down the trail a ways off Goofy was waging war with a black bear smarter than average. He was up a white pine tree with a foil tray of just cooked hot dogs with bacon wrapping. Poking the animal's nose with a stick got it to bellow violently—"Yow!" Legs lifted Goofy to the top where he began swaying in the air, "Sorry but these are for the boys!" Another roar could be heard but it was feeble in comparison and sounded of one of absolute exhaustion, which got the bear's attention. Bradley fell face down into the dirt.

Still groaning in frustration at himself for being a total wuss, and too tired to realize that a giant furry thing was sniffing his hair. With little movement Max had snatched a medium-sized, raw silver fish from his dad's morning catch and dangled it in front of its nose. The bear grunted in question and lifted its eyes up to the shimmering treat, "rwr."

"Follow me." Keeping a distance of at least ten steps, "That's it mister." Eager, it clamped its jaw around the specimen right before it was dropped and hobbled off with it. For good measure Max followed the beast carefully with two others and positioned them on a fallen log that was in its path, "Bon appétit."

Goofy had clambered down, shaky in setting the tray on the fold-out table. He noticed a turtle—No; Brad was still stuck there. "This sucks." The overall stringiness of his frame and lack of developed muscle made using his arms to lift himself off the ground futile, "Help." The older Goof got next to him and flipped the oversized thing over so that Uppercrust could slip out. "Oww..! Th-Thanks, Mr. Goof. I mean, Goofy."

"No problemo, Charlie." Brad giggled but coughed halfway. Max came back with a bunch of edible berries cradled in the fold of his shirt, "Figured to take some before he did." Confused, Bradley had to ask, "who?" Getting a massive gulp of water from their reserve. "A bear."

Brad spat out, "B-Bear? There are bears here?!" The adult peered over his food counter realizing fish had been taken, "Well I'll be darned. Guess we gotta go fishin' again."

"Later, Dad—Bradley! Seriously get out of that tent!"

* * *

Spying on a bag of marshmallows, a thin pale hand reached inside only to have it slapped, "Hey!"

"Those are for the s'mores!"

"But it was already open!" Rubbing hand lightly almost pouting. "How else are we gonna get them out? Magic?"

Bradley folded his arms, "Warn me next time." The camping novice was having all kinds of bad luck from falling into the freezing lake at getting perhaps their biggest catch of the day that got away to being stalked by bees and other such insects after being coated with free-falling syrup. There was a close encounter with that same bear that developed a fondness for Maxie's generosity. Goofy would have something to say about it but stopped dead in his tracks at a look the creature gave him, 'I'm keeping my eye on you.' Standing up high and giving the gesture with its paw. At that point Brad about fainted.

The day was finally winding down and Bradley was glad to have had a chance to bathe alone to get the stink off. Truth to tell after that oddball dinner of steak spaghetti, chickpea salad and half of a peanut butter sandwich, he was still hungry. Rather than piss Max off he picked up a handful of the washed berries in anticipation of the s'mores he kept on blabbing about, popping said berries in one by one. Tangy sweet juice could easily stain his shirt but Brad figured out that staying neat and tidy outdoors was a lost cause.

"Soon, Bradley." Giving a smile that seemed as if Max was hiding something of an esoteric nature. The other boy rolled his eyes, "Okaaaayy."

The buddy was literally treating the preparation like a ritual. An offering of graham crackers to the fire gods in a crumpled section of foil. The small slabs of chocolate and marshmallows in their own makeshift bowl. Spindling branches at the ready. Blue orbs doused with warm light saw an acoustic guitar leaning on the stump where Goofy was sitting, "Are you just going to play it, or will you sing too?"

"That's up to you." Grinning toothily. Bradley hummed already finding nighttime to be much more manageable, "Tomorrow night; I'm sure you sound great but I want to save it for later." Overall the young teen preferred instrumental anyway.

"Okay, strumming only."

The black pup clapped his gloved hands together, "We are ready!"

To add to the atmosphere Bradley started a mock chant; baby blue squinted over and Goofy glanced over, "Huh?"

".. Yama Oyama..? What I'm helping." A little smirk.

"Weirdo." Sticking on a marshmallow to one of the fanned out ends of the stick to roast over the fire, "Put the rest on, brother." Uppercrust did just that and was given the branch to hold over the heat, "but not too close or you'll char the wood!" Max kept Brad's arm and flimsy wrist steady. It took both hands and the genius method of standing up on a chair to not have the fire pit consume the puffy things, caramelizing slowly until they got close to brown then approaching black.

"They're done, Bradley!" The older boy got down gingerly and saw another pair of hands with crackers and chocolate clasp onto the sticky goodness before pulling it out, "This," holding it out to the initiate, "Is a s'more!" Ah. Looked like a crunchy sweet sandwich. Max gave it to him and took the branch to get the rest out, "Enjoy!" By then Goofy had finally settled on a tune after much deep pondering with hand to chin and glancing upward. A chord and a bit of fine tuning with dexterity showcased the potential of his talents; before they knew it he had started and the soothing melody satisfied Bradley the most. Violins of a faint memory of his mother, father and a theatre were replaced by something rustic, bold and optimistic.

Teeth took hold of the s'more, napkin ready to catch the crumbs, and a bit of an ooey gooey piece, "Mm!" Okay maybe too sweet and maybe really bad for him but it was a "commoner's" quirk like this that made him feel more connected with the so-called lower crowd. "Thank you, Max." The black pup downing his second, "No prob! Take another one." Bradley did but gazed off a little into the flames before looking upward. The tops of the trees managed to escape illumination and the tufts stood black to blue. Head back down to bob a little in appreciating the music until before Goofy took a well-deserved break for dessert.

"You play great." At this point beaming.

"Thank ye kindly." Lowering the brim of his fishing hat studded with a nerd's lures of various colors; a curiosity to that of the kind man that wore it.

In place of acoustic were the little hoots and tiny screech that resembled that of bats; they couldn't be too sure as not a single animal was in sight. Thinking a ways ahead, Bradley expected to hear the howl of a great wolf—a pack of wolves, later late evening. Instead of letting fear show he munched on the second without breathing until it was finished. A bit of contemplative silence for a while.

"Hey—want me to tell a scary story?"

"Sure, M—

"No!" Covering his ears. He knew that the stories that Max told without censorship such as his dad could be borderline disturbing. Perhaps way too many video games and movies.

* * *

Another disadvantage of camping over staying at home. Sleeping on the uneven and hard ground was terrible! The makeshift cushion seemed to help some. The younger kid was confused as to why Bradley wouldn't change along with him—It was a boy thing to do, right? He didn't smell that bad or anything. In respecting his request they got ready at separate times.

As far as the imagination could reach, at least Brad was impartial to the tales of zombies, vampires, and werewolves. But talk about murderers and other real life evils, now _that_ put him on edge. Maxie was kind enough not to go too much into detail this time around. Still, it was hard to settle down into sleep, both thinking too much of disparate things and the little Goof thought it was the best time to get the flashlight and shine it right in the face of the unsuspecting boy—

"Ah! What the hell's your problem?!"

Max flinched thinking his comrade would strike him for interrupting much needed rest. "Whoa there. Language."

".. Sorry." The other mumbled before flopping back down, "ow. Forgot that this wasn't my bed." Sighing. Goof flicked off the light and shifted his weight away, "Wanted to have fun that's all. Still kinda early in my book so.." Brad growled before pulling the flap over his head being a sourpuss.

"You're usually not like this when you've slept over."

"I said, I'm _sorry_." Reaching an arm out fumbling in the dark, fingers reaching his friend's hand, or rather his thumb, "I got freaked a little that's why."

…..

In slumber, breathing was off and faint and rushed dialogue was heard. Brad talked in sleep sometimes but the words were usually too jumbled—or they seemed to be—to get the meaning.

"I…. no… wait." Polyester shuddering along with him, repeating the last word. Legs under the cover shifted over and over as if running, "D—" Eyes opened. Before getting up he took note of the unfamiliar setting. Eyes dry and stinging, Bradley sniffed and stood up; Max buried himself in time to not be caught spying on him. To make the illusion complete he faked a snore which nearly alleviated the mood. Not even five minutes afterward the other was outside the tent. Assuming bathroom break, Max's eyelids began to droop.

By now Uppercrust was forgetting how frightening the woods were supposed to be. Shoes on his feet, he wandered a long way underneath a blanket of many stars. Given where he lived he could get out of the house any night once the estate's lights were off to take in the beauty of space, but the thought usually never crossed his mind. So glad his pajamas proved enough insulation for the mild cold. Mind trying to be still in favor for this love of the moon, currently at its crescent.

If he decided to stop walking his thoughts would catch up to him. Instead of sitting down at a river's bank to ruminate, he went back and crawled back inside the tent and into his down feather sleeping bag. "Good night." To no one before exhaling deeply and weighing himself down both physically and in consciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

Seemed that the boys had awoken to a sour mood.

It wouldn't be the first time that Goofy had to play mediator.

The thirteen-year-old looked up in silence; had the man not known any better it would easily be mistaken for a glare, "Yes, Mr. Goof?" Slackening his defenses, Bradley placed his arms down and leaned back a little. The black dog knelt carefully smiling some, "Did you have a good night's sleep?"

Without thinking the boy gulped, "I had a nightmare and just walked around; that's all. I kept close to camp;" Taking notice at the father's surprise, "I'm ok."

Brad recoiled when Goofy placed a hand on his shoulder; it was taken back so he could keep a better distance. Not too long ago he made an attempt to discuss something important with Alphonse, although it ended up leading to Mr. Goof being booted out of the office. At least Bradley's temper wasn't as explosive.. Something was wrong.

The topic would be brought up another time.

Back at the campsite, Max was just outside the small tent brooding while reading a chapter of _Goosebumps_. What was it with Brad throwing a fit well past the age of having them..?

"Guy can't take a joke even." Forgetting that the tent was just fabric being supported by beams, he about sank into it when he tried to relax—"!" Pushed himself back on his rump just in time; Max just noticed his dad and his odd friend coming his way. To resume normalcy, Max started up reading again on a different page.

"Max." The son gulped at the tone of voice, "Yes?" Eyes barely peeking out of the book cover—Brad was much calmer now, up until Goofy made an announcement,

"I need the two of you to gather wood for the campfire tonight—also for cooking in case we run out of charcoal." The boys glanced at each other anxiously. "Let's not dilly dally."

Brad swallowed his fountain of pride quick, "Yes Sir." He didn't wait for Max as he was suddenly past them, off into the woods and the unknown.

".. Wait." The older kid wouldn't listen; Goofy looked on as his son went after Brad in a low sulk as if ashamed. Being ignored like this was perhaps fair punishment for what had happened earlier.

Being riled up had the effect of making some stronger than usual, as was the case with this one. There was no hint of a whine from Uppercrust's throat as he carried a woodpile that should have weighed him down in seconds. In all honesty Max couldn't tell if he was focused or just angry. Thoughtless, Max felt like he shrunk—it was rare to see this sort of spark within deep blue irises. The boy sighed bringing his head down as he couldn't indulge in the negative for too long, "I'm sorry," a mumble that didn't quite reach the other's ear.

Brad shoved another armful of lumber to him, "Quit staring into space." The biting undertone managed to break Max out of his lull, "I'm not dumb you know."

The teen raised a brow, "I never said—

"Well you were thinking it..!" Max huffed, gripping the bark to his chest to prevent it from flying out of its cradle. Bradley simply dropped the subject in response and no longer spoke for a good hour; gestures were done in small doses to get their task done.

The longer they kept their silence, the more questions churned inside him; Max forced down a primal reaction to frustration. It was usually at this point that his friend, so-called, would begin to apologize profusely for his poor behavior. Grating minutes passed without exchange. Looking each other in the eye was hard to do; since when was Bradley intimidating?

".. Max." The boy gulped and looked away as he continued, "I was, dreaming about my dad. That's it."

"…" Failing to respond. Brad sighed, half wishing the day could be over already. A chill swept through the forest; faint bird calls teased their ears. Max dropped a couple branches by mistake, which the other picked up and tossed into his own pile. The black dog bit his lip in embarrassment; without warning a firm yet warm hand gripped onto his shoulder. He couldn't get his head up to see a small smile.

* * *

 _"_ _I don't know what you see in the boy."_

 _"_ _He's another boy—a_ friend _Dad; Sir." Bradley looked away from Alphonse, "He's my only real friend."_

 _The son left it at that; the father raised a heavy hand only to tuck it underneath his own chin, as if in disbelief that this relationship to the Goof had a base stronger than superficial commonalities._

 _"_ _.. Bradley. You know that someday, you're going to have to part ways with him."_

 _Alarmed eyes shot up, and shook under the earth-tinged irises. It wasn't a joke; that much was certain. The small Uppercrust swallowed nothing and yet his voiced waned terribly, "You can't..! wh—Why?"_

 _Alphonse only shook his head slowly, assuming that he was either too young or simply unattached to social mores to understand what those reasons were. As he turned to walk away, there was a strong tug at his sleeve and well-pressed cuff of a simple dress shirt. "Why can't I be with him? There's nothing wrong about them!"_

 _His dad stared plainly, "You're going to have to take on more responsibilities as you get older." The boy flinched, darkened eyes asking why. "Because I said so."_

 _Bradley took a step back while rubbing at stinging sockets, "It's, it's because we're rich, isn't it?" He barely noticed a figure towering over him until it was too late to be prepared._

 _"_ _You're smart; you should know it's more than that." A cool sigh to get himself to calm and think through words carefully, "We're of a different class with different customs." There was a sharp silence before a growl startled him. Max must have incited a spark of rebellion; something which Alphonse Uppercrust wasn't going to forgive._

 _"_ _To hell with 'class'." Brows furrowed low as sapphire gleamed upward, "I don't want to change this..! I haven't been happier since—!_

 _Arm squeezed hard, "Watch your mouth." Met with defiance in the form of a glare which the older male wasn't used to. Had he been on the drink, the kid might have well been stomped into the floor. The man gulped even as the grip tightened. Bradley gave out noises resembling a pup caught in a trap before trying to pull away—he wasn't about to beg._

 _"_ _Max is my friend!" Limb shoved away, "I care for him, a lot." Now speaking to the carpet, with arm going numb; Brad didn't bother to try raising it._

 _"_ _You don't think I notice that? You should appreciate that I've allowed this relationship to take place at all—out of nothing but a chance meeting."_

 _A shaking fist covered up the bruise forming on skin, marks of fingers imprinted upon it. Bradley wanted to smile at that moment in time—during a business proposition between his dad and that of another one of Max's friends._

 _"_ _Ow." Drawing in breath suddenly, "D-Dad."_

 _. . ._

 _"_ _Dad?"_

 _When he peered up, Alphonse had already taken his leave. The young teen pursed his lips in trying to process his father's disapproval in a rational way. White in the eyes reddened, and failure to understand came down onto warm, tingling cheeks._

 _"_ _You..!" Not being in possession of a library of curses, his frame merely collapsed on the soft carpet in a much deeper sadness than anger. Eyes shut tight._

 _"_ _.. Why did you let me, then?"_

* * *

"Does he even like to go outside?"

The silence between them was over for some time, and Max was nothing but grateful for it; he had to keep upbeat for them both. Bradley looked nowhere in particular, "He's either at the work office or his home office, or just cooped up in his room. I don't think he does.." That wasn't the case when she was around. He shook his head a little to not linger on the past. It was kind of funny to entertain the notion of Mr. Uppercrust being out there with them. An image of the man holed up inside a luxurious tent with a hardbound book or newspaper in hand got the teen to grin however lightly, "Mom loved being outside for walks and.."

Quelling himself mute, he glanced Max's way thinking that bringing her up would unintentionally slight him, who had no memory of a mother's smile and warmth. But the other seemed unfazed, "And what?" Bradley shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't really important; the younger boy nearly dropped his pile, "You keep doing that, leading up to something neat before you just stop talking."

They were nearly out of the thick part of the woods with their last haul; baby blue eyes shone in the hazy sunlight in anticipation. Bradley quirked a brow, "You think my life is 'neat'?" Chuckling some, ".. She'd bring us all along for hikes beyond the estate grounds—including Yoli," Max now wondered how old the heady lead servant was—

"And.. Mom knew something about riding horses from where, she was from." Putting on a somber face at the other's raised eyebrows, "I never got to learn; the few that we had were sent off after she had gone." Finding their mother lode of branches, Uppercrust gingerly got on his knees to set his part down. Max followed suit, hoping that his prodding wasn't too much.

The older boy was quiet, loose hold on his shoulder. Sapphire dulled before a surreal glow managed to get a grin on his face, "Think that your dad could survive getting on a horse?" The smaller kid looked on with a crooked brow, "Huh?"

"Since he's survived practically anything else!" Barely covering an emerging giggle with a flared out hand, giving the impression of a petite rich girl—to which Max smirked almost ruthlessly, "I bet he can, and would do circles around your dad if they had a 'friendly competition'."

Bradley couldn't help but laugh at the very idea, "Oh?"

"Yep. And I think even now Dad could teach Al on all this camping stuff too. We could have a Father-Son race on the lake in canoes," circulating his arms on his sockets in a rowing motion. Young Uppercrust placed his hands on his hips, changing his body's posture from meek to confident, "In that case, we'd win for sure. He lifts weights in his spare time..!"

He turned away, embarrassed. The few times he wanted to interact with his father he'd end up being an unwilling voyeur to private moments in his daily life. Some rare scenes from the past were too much even for a grownup. "He does look the type. Bradley? Your face is getting kinda red."

He closed his eyes to calm, before sniffing, "I think, the chill out here is starting to get me sick." Max gasped and started to drag him back to camp, "We can't have that happen this weekend, come on."

But, the wood? "Let me carry most of it for now. You need to put a sweater on first!"

* * *

It had been a good three hours since the boys left. A tinge of fatherly instinct worried for their safety. Just as he turned around to face the trees near the clearing of the campsite he breathed a sigh of relief. The two walked alongside each other with heavy piles. Max and Bradley had set up a relay system to get the desired item back to base. In retrospect they should have brought the wagon. At least Brad seemed all better in ten minutes from his initial claim, now that the sun was upon them.

Goofy chuckled, happy for their current dispositions—back to normal in talking about random things. He set down a pack of flour for a late breakfast to help get what was left spread in a line throughout the forest.

"Thanks Mr. Goof." Bradley stretched his arms out to the sky, shutting his eyes. Max tried doing the same but was caught on his thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder how he would turn out once the waves of puberty started. Would his mood swings be as bad as his friend's, or worse? On one occasion the off topic of girls came up; the older one wasn't excited about it but he felt he had to tell Max that he'd start to develop 'those romantic feelings'. Besides his cousin Debbie, Maxie couldn't believe it would run so deep. As the saying went, 'Bros before—

"Hey, Son." Hand on his shoulder, "Everything fixed up between you two?" Max paused and gave a slow, jerky nod of his head. He looked to notice Bradley slowly walking towards their fishing boat, out of curiosity, to see it filled to the brim with pink suds for its maintenance. It was an ill advised idea to try scooping it up as if it were in a tub although it was tempting.

Max kept his voice low to answer, "Ya think, next time, we could make Alphonse go with us?"

His old man couldn't give a straight answer. A moment's glance at the other boy produced a slightly pained expression on him.

* * *

This time Bradley didn't have enough energy to be super adventurous, but settled for a half-day's hike through another part of the forest. Countless, thin yet lush tall trees with rare dappling of sun through various shades of emerald green. Bright moss decorated the rocks and darker areas as if lighting the way. It was something out of a fantasy epic. It was common sense however that no animals were suddenly going to be dancing along with a little song. While he found it soothing, Max had a hard time to give in to the quiet atmosphere. His dad was so invested in the walk he got a hold of a brochure detailing the specific flora and fauna in the region. He about squeaked when he caught sight of a baby bunny of an odd color and a flying squirrel.

With the adult's permission, the boys were able to wander around a freer range. The oldest broke off of the designated path when he overhead a sloshing of water, growing louder than a shower head on full blast. Mist hit his face; Brad shivered at the sudden drop of temperature. He let out a breath once settling into the new environment.

"Max!" Trying to call over the sheer white noise, "Goofy! Come over here!"

Goofy wasted no time, "You found the waterfall~!" holding out the map in front of his face tripping on a rock much too fast for Bradley to react. He winced instead for the supposed pain, "Are you alright?" The man bounced back up, "I'm a-OK", signaling the gesture. The least he could do was get a Band-Aid for the minute scrape below his chin. Max could have made the same mistake had he not caught himself, "oop—!"

The younger kid's eyes held a sparkle once he observed the height of that natural wonder. Max hopped on a flat rock near the edge of the pool and invited his friend to do the same. Brad saw it coming, but he was still nervous about getting closer to the torrent beating on the stones just below. "I—I'll, be right there Max..!" With wanton abandon, he then took a running start on a white granite strip to leap off its edge. He doubled over backwards but gained his footing. Max reached out his hand to him at the last wide stretch, "Almost here!" A second later the boy had a stronghold on the teen's wrist, pulling him to safety. Bradley caught his breath, "Th-Thanks.."

By this point the mist on their faces pretended to be sweat from exertion. Instead of letting go, Max guided him to the foaming cascade, "We're running through it~!" At that Brad squeezed his hand a little too hard but Maxie was too invested in the feat to notice. That, and Goofy's near cries for them to reconsider; the current seemed much too strong.

"One, two!" Three!

They had a moment's notice to hold their breath. Roaring at their ears would likely leave them ringing for at least an hour. The weight of water had them buckling at the knees. So much for a leap; they ended up crawling out of the other side soaked to the bone.

"~Whoo—Ack!" The black dog coughed before giggling madly with glee despite possibly freezing within the cave. Bradley only shivered in place of celebrating but was intrigued at the hole they just found. As best he could, he squeezed water out of his mopped up hair, wincing a bit at the pain near his shoulder that he managed to ignore up to this point. "I think, that's.." running his hand over a damp, smooth wall—faint carvings could be seen. The lighting wasn't the greatest to discern what they could be.

"Hey," Max poked Brad's shoulder for him to glance back at the entrance, "I think this water's blue, for real." The other kid almost didn't believe it until they stared at it for about a minute. What would cause..?

".. Maybe we're just overthinking it. Maybe the stone itself is blue and—" The Goof rolled his eyes in response, "Blah blah, blah science." Brad raised a brow and failed to glare back, beginning to laugh instead.

"Ha—you're getting better," the other grinned.

"What?"

"Well hello~!" Goofy popped in through a small space between the slab of rock and the waterfall—he had taken the long way around to preserve his camera, set on 'Record'. Max waved enthusiastically at the lens, "Hello~!" Bradley hid his face instead, kind of wishing they had stayed in solitude a little longer…

Their goal, again, was to not fall ill. When they finally cleared the forest, the hotter sun and slight breeze got most of the moisture off. The teen sneezed, but preferred that over having to take his shirt off in front of them.

* * *

He saw their laughter; Max's joy. They made a pretty good team, all things considered. In contrast, his own relationship with his father was..

Bradley wasn't jealous, but appreciative that he had come across a decent father figure worthy of respect, talented in many ways despite the inherent flaws that may have been passed down from Goof to Goof.

Sometimes the boy would backtrack in his mind to find fractions of memory from when he and his dad would spend time together. Those nights when he would be the one to read bedtime stories in place of his mother if she was overworked (since she refused to let the servants handle everything themselves).. Walking to the lake past the meadow, hand in hand.. Just enjoying each other's company on Sunday mornings when Lillian went to attend service with Yoli.

"Bradley..?"

"Hm?"

This time the boys were helping with meal preparation. If only the 'nanny' didn't have to follow orders from Alphonse, he would have already known a thing or two. His lack of knife skills shone through. "Er, watch your finger there."

Goofy carefully adjusted the position of Bradley's hand holding the tomato, which was already a slippery specimen. The kid blushed, "Thank you Goofy," eyes downcast.

"It's alright." The man kept his voice low to a whisper so that the other boy washing fruits and vegetables wouldn't hear, "I still haven't taught Maxie to cut food up—you beat him in something..!"

Instead of swelling up with pride Brad's face only got red as the tomato. So what if he learned a new skill first—he was only two years older! He wondered now in that moment if his old man would bother instructing him on how to run a kitchen properly. Out of nowhere his friend had fallen into him, "ay!" In the corner of his eye Bradley saw a stray bell pepper rolling on the patchy grass.

"I'm sorry..!" The two accidentally butted heads in trying to chase the thing down. "Ow.." Maxie covered his mouth in place of another apology, brows raised. A ruddy spot marked the side of the other's crown. The teen wasn't too dizzy; he clutched at it just the same while on the ground. Goofy gasped, "Are you two alright?"

Bradley got out something like a giggle, getting up to a crooked stand, "S-sure, 'ow 'bout you, Max..?" The black pup blushed, mortified, "I'm, fine." Quick as can be he picked up the item and rushed back to his spot, pepper slipping in his grasp again until he got a claw in.

.. He couldn't stand those clumsy moments he had, like it would confirm his friend's imaginary suspicions that he was some dummy after all. Being the hip n' cool one didn't always cover up the fact that he was related to the famous klutzy Goof.

But when said Goof wrapped an arm around his shoulder, he leaned against his father's side with no hesitance. No one mentioned anything of it afterwards and that was just fine for him.

* * *

The man got his guitar ready for a song of his choosing. His taste in music was outdated, sure, but that was the novelty of it. Gathered around the fire, the youngest one offered his version of an ambrosia salad with leftover berries, chopped nuts, apples and diced marshmallows (done with a butter knife which proved to be difficult). It was his dad's suggestion to drizzle honey over everything and Bradley's to crumble up a piece of chocolate over that. A delighted hum from Bradley as he tasted it was a seal of approval; Max beamed at his own efforts.

Goofy peered up from his strings, clearly excited to share, "This is a tune that my pappy would use to sing. I don't expect you to sing along but.. ahem," final twists of the knob before he began. Paired with a good set of lungs, the slight warble along the lyrics was easily excused as satin-covered fingers flew over taut coils, great as before. Given the lyrics, the tone which the man was going for seemed to clash with what would be taken as sheer nostalgia,

".. Take me home, country roads.." Bradley had a spoon to his lip as he mulled over the words, brows raised a little. _To the place, I belong._

".. The radio reminds me of my home far away.." Max had his turn to close his eyes; to him it was a lullaby. The man continued on undeterred, quite focused on the song as he looked up to the few stars the yellow light would allow. Never had to take in a breath between the verses..

The teen pursed his lips near the end of the song. "West Virginia, Mountain Mama," _Take me home, country roads._

Although the two gave their version of applause, Bradley went listless not long after while Mr. Goof kept playing more upbeat country songs with cheery lyrics to match.. Yet he smiled unsettlingly.

Max stretched out his arms with a tiny yawn some time after, too beat to come up with any high strung tales this evening.

"Ready for bed Maxie?"

He shook his head listlessly, "No way, ahm.. It is getting cold though," despite the flames, "I might head into the tent now.." seeing if Bradley would follow suit. The older kid seemed lost in his own mind and after feeble attempts to get his attention, the boy got up with a "g'night~" to which both Goofy and Bradley reciprocated.

"See you in the morning."

Max was still at the age where a hug and kiss on the cheek from his parent wasn't shame-inducing, although the older Goof was playfully shoved, "D-aaad..! Not in front of my pals!" Blushing just a tad; Brad giggled, chin propped on his hand,

"Don't mind me." Waving him off.

Goofy could only smile, "Love you." Maxie said the same before heading out to the clearing where the tents were.

"…"

Crackles of the fire pit were all that could be heard for a good minute or two. Goofy would ask if Bradley was meaning to sleep anytime soon, but the kid seemed quite alert and yet not even there. Hands curled in on themselves before one held the other in self-comfort.

"One day we can invite him along too."

The guy blinked, "Hm?" As if noticing Goofy for the first time, ".. Oh. Yeah." Hands meshed, tense, "But you did, remember? This time?"

The old man chuckled, "You're right; so I did." Believing that this kid missed his father dearly, Goofy continued, "Mighty busy he is, huh?" Keeping uncanny neutrality in his inflection while displaying interest by leaning forward—Bradley was relieved that Goofy was able to pick up on his preferences in distance during a conversation.

"Yes, he is. Since my mom passed away," cringing, feeling bad knowing that the Goof had lost his wife even sooner, in a way. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright. Go on."

".. Since then, he's been working a lot more and doesn't have time for anything," peering down at a forming fist, "like he's worried about losing what we have, or;" shaking his head slowly, "don't we have more than enough already?"

A mere hypothetical; Goofy could only shrug. "I gotta work; Pete has to work and he's richer than us. Thinkin' it would be the same for Alphonse too even if he's the richest." Scratching at the base of his neck, he looked at the young Uppercrust—his brows had dipped during the man's response,

"Does it matter that we—that he's in a 'higher class'?" Fiddling with a stray twig that had been rejected by the flames and had cooled long enough to not burn his fingers; some ash marked his pale skin. It was an improvement.

"Not at all. Doesn't matter how much money one makes—there are good people who are rich." Brad failed to restrain his scoff. "And there's some people that are pretty lousy, rich or poor. What you have or don't have doesn't matter. It's, who you're with."

Dulled blue eyes scanned the piece of bark on the log between them, uncomfortable in the moment prompting Uppercrust to scoot away, through no fault of the Goof.

"And how you treat one another.. Something wrong?"

Concern in his voice—a warmth that replaced the callousness of the rich man in Bradley's life. Despite enjoying Goofy's company, the teen simply wasn't used to it on a certain level. He half-expected an abrupt change in personality that would catch him off guard in the whirlwind of it all,

"It's happened before." A private thought that couldn't be discernible as it was released as a sigh covered by the side of his hand as if tired.

".. You don't have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable. You can turn in." Mr. Goof ignored an impulse to be at Bradley's aid; he was passively digging his nails deep into his own arm at a deep itch. The kid looked up at him guardedly, "Do you think I'm alright if..?" Sighing, "I'm really not tired or anything. But you should be getting rest." Standing up, "I'll help with putting out the fire so you can do so sooner, ok?"

Bradley had effectively dropped the subject, finding it better to be productive in the moment than to bring this old man into his seemingly obsessive and perhaps meaningless thoughts. In about ten minutes' time they bade each other a good night,

"Don't let the bedbugs bite." A simple, caring wave.

Grinning slightly, "See you tomorrow.."

Back into the tent with his snoozing buddy. A solitary walk was out of the question this time. The next hour or two was spent being curled up, brain numbing to a variety of topics which eventually made him drift off to sea.

Bradley imagined holding a gloved hand which rested firmly on his shoulder; it was more than welcomed.

* * *

 _Everyone else was fast asleep._

 _A man was out for the count, lying on the floor. A weapon still in a loosening grasp made of pure leather and a golden accent. Mossy eyes dulled to gray, wanting to close forever to forget the sight of what he had done to them. Shallow breathing carried the essence of liquor; bottle only refraction in the clouded moonlight._

 _Small, fragile steps approached him, this lying beast. Legs of the boy decided they were too weak to go on and knees buckled—hands braced the fall, "Ah..!" Wincing, just as the man did when his son pressed against him not expecting any reciprocation of any sort. One was exhausted; both were distraught._

 _The young one of six years held on fast, "Daddy." No more weeping could come out of those sockets housing royal blue irises. Survival was marked all along exposed skin emerging from ripped cloth of a set of pajamas. The scars that would form would eventually be a source of anger, if not vengeance in another life._

 _For the moment, "Daddy, I still –_

 _Shock throughout the body of the father in question; color flashed within his irises for a mere second. He wished to push the apparition away but couldn't move a fraction of an inch, "N—no—Please don't say that!" Gaze flickered anywhere within the dark room to avoid seeing this boy next to him. A broken sound from his strained throat, "Why..?!"_

 _A small hand touched his face in such admiration._

 _It was twisted—Twisted! Such as it played out within the father's mind. He shouldn't have deserved any of this. Not his wife—not this child of their entanglement, and not that other—!_

 _"_ _It's ok; you're sad." Cuddling up right to his heaving and collapsing chest, "M-Mama's gone."_

 _That was the phrase that sent the teetering soul over the edge. An animal's painful cry; the pathetic man choked on sobs. Some life returned to heavy limbs, "G-Get away from me, boy." The consuming spell of alcohol forbade him to rise again; for now this kid was safe. He still trembled from the threat._

 _"_ _I, I won't. Let me stay."_

 _In the din of the early morn, a horrid sight; however meekly, this boy smiled._

I don't understand!

 _Alphonse curled into himself only being able to allow this intruder to stay in his nest for the rest of the dead hours. Salted eyes forcing him into a fitful sleep with this accursed child who wrapped all around him in want and need, "Good night, Daddy.."_


End file.
